Outdoor decks formed from wooden boards or panels suffer from a number of drawbacks. Typically, the boards must be periodically treated with a water sealant to inhibit degradation. Wooden decking may be difficult or impossible to effectively and efficiently clean. Wooden decking may be subject to rot and mold, for example.
In view of the foregoing deficiencies, polymeric deck panels, typically formed of vinyl or a vinyl composite, have been used in place of wooden panels for decks and the like. In some cases, the polymeric deck panels are secured to support joists and other frame elements by simply driving nails through the body of the panel and into the joists, etc. Some deck panels are provided with nail strips substantially coplanar with a lower face of the deck panel and through which the nails are driven. Such deck panels may be arranged such that the nail strip of each deck panel is covered by an adjacent deck panel. Other types of polymeric deck panels may be secured to joists by means of clips.